VSThiran

PDF & Files

Free Add Page Numbers to PDF

Free to useNo sign-up requiredNo watermarkRuns in your browser

This free tool numbers the pages of a PDF and writes the numbers into the file, so they print and stay where you put them. You choose the corner, the size, the margin, the format and which pages get numbered.

The useful part is that the numbering does not have to match the file. A document with a cover and a contents page can start its numbering at the third sheet and still call it page 1, which is how a printed document is normally numbered.

How this tool works

  1. Open your PDF

    Drag it in or browse. The first page is previewed.

  2. Pick a format

    Just the number, "1 of 10", or "Page 1 of 10". The preview shows exactly what will be drawn.

  3. Set the position and the start

    Any of six positions, with the margin and font size you want. Set the starting number if the first numbered page should not be 1.

  4. Choose which pages, then apply

    Leave it as every page, or give a range to skip a cover. Applying writes the numbers into the document.

How it works

Each number is drawn into its page as text by pdf-lib, running in your browser. It behaves like the rest of the page from then on: it prints, it survives conversion, and it can be selected in a reader.

The total in "of N" counts the pages being numbered, not the pages in the file. Numbering pages 3 to 10 of a twelve-page document starting at 1 gives a last page reading "8 of 8", because eight is the length of the sequence the reader is looking at. Counting the file instead would print "8 of 12" and be wrong on every document with front matter.

The margin is measured in points from the edge of the page — 72 points to an inch, so the default 28 is a little under half an inch.

Numbering a document with a cover

The usual convention is that the cover is not numbered and the first page of content is page 1. To do that, set the pages to something like "2-40" and leave the starting number at 1: page 2 of the file becomes page 1 of the sequence.

If the cover should be counted but not printed on, set the pages to "2-40" and the starting number to 2 instead.

Frequently asked questions

Is my PDF uploaded anywhere?

No. The file is opened and changed by this page on your own device, using your browser. It is never sent to VSThiran and no copy is stored on any server. It is held only in the tab you have open, which is also why reloading the page clears it.

Can I skip the cover page?

Yes. Set the page range to start at 2. Whether the numbering then starts at 1 or 2 is up to you — the starting number is a separate setting for exactly that reason.

Will the numbers overlap the existing content?

They can, if the page already has a footer. The preview shows where the number lands on page 1, and the margin control moves it. There is no automatic detection of what is already there.

Can I use Roman numerals or a prefix?

Not at the moment. The three formats offered are the plain number, "n of N", and "Page n of N".

Can I use another PDF tool on the result without downloading it first?

Yes. Once a PDF is open, the other PDF tools pick it up as it currently stands, so you can organise, watermark, number, sign and compress a document from a single upload and download once at the end. Conversions to Word, Excel or images produce a different kind of file, so those finish the sequence rather than continuing it.